Avada Cafe

California Life

The golden state turning green

The love affair between California and marijuana has been as tumultuous as Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston’s relationship. After becoming the first state to prohibit a crop that had been used for centuries for anything from medicine to food to clothing, California essentially spearheaded a movement that saw the banning of marijuana sales across the States.

In 1996, California began the arduous journey of lifting the ban they helped create on the cannabis plant. Following the vote of yes by California residents on Proposition 215, medical marijuana became legal for the first time since the early 1900’s in California. 20 years later, the state voted in the 2016 election on allowing the banned control substance to be sold to adults 21 and over. With a resounding yes, the state spoke and agreed to lift the century-long ban on recreational marijuana.

As marijuana legalization begins to sweep the nation, Bud and Breakfasts, cannabis rallies, and other marijuana-related events have been springing up not only in the States, but around the world as well.

The world of cannabis is continuing to grow. With the gradual acceptance of medical marijuana long after the first state voted in favor of the treatment back in 1996, that piece of legislation started a snowball effect that has slowly chipped away at cannabis prohibition to where recreational marijuana has become increasingly legal across America as well.

CANNABIS LOVE

The greens have never been kinder

Hemp and marijuana are both derivatives of the Cannabis sativa plant family. One of the oldest domesticated crops in human civilization, all Cannabis sativa plants were used for a variety of reasons. Due to the crop’s sturdy texture it was suitable for fabric and rope. As time passed, other plants with similar characteristics were bred with Cannabis sativa, making the plant known today as hemp.

There is a reason why medical marijuana has gained more steam than your favorite vaporizer. Each year, an increasing number of states vote in favor of this form of medicine. The movement that has lead to the sweeping legalization of marijuana can be pointed to the day the world was introduced to CBD oil.

Before medical marijuana became such a hot-button issue in the news, cannabis was widely known as a recreational drug. However, as medical marijuana has garnered more press and people have become better educated on the healing abilities of cannabis, they have learned that not all cannabis products are psychoactive.

As medical marijuana legalization continues to gain traction throughout the United States, the plant’s genetic complexities are starting to be understood a lot better. Today, medical marijuana is cultivated into specific strains that target the individual needs of millions of patients.

CULTURAL RISE

Learn the history of hemp & marijuana

State by state marijuana legalization has grown throughout America. 29 states plus Washington, D.C. have lifted the prohibition on medical marijuana. On top of that, 8 of those states and D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana. Following a path much similar to the recent civil rights issue of marriage equality where each state one-by-one voted for marriage equality until it became legal federally. If history were to repeat itself, then medical and recreational cannabis may become federally legal one day as well.

Cannabis, which is classified as Schedule I Controlled Drug under federal United States law, is still the most commonly used drug in America. The government-funded National Institute of Drug Abuse conducted a survey where they found 22.2 million people have used recreational and/or medical marijuana at least once in the past month.

Hemp and marijuana are not the same thing. Just get that out of your head. Sure, they come from the same family of plants, but they have completely different characteristics and can be used in a variety of ways. Hemp and marijuana may both be cannabis, but they also come with own lists of benefits.

Once a persecuted plant, the Schedule I Controlled Substance known as marijuana has proven to have many benefits for the American consumer. As more states vote yes for medical marijuana each passing year, the medicinal benefits of cannabis are coming to light more often.

CANNABIS COOKING

The healthiest way to consume cannabis

Cooking with marijuana is an easy, albeit time consuming endeavor. There’s more to cannabis cooking than just throwing in some flowers and make a pan of brownies. Just like there’s more to cooking BBQ chicken than just throwing it in the oven. You need to prep, dress, and then bake the chicken. Cannabis too needs a little TLC. Just like the chicken won’t taste the same without prep, your cannabis will be rendered useless without going through a process called decarboxylation.

The world of edibles continues to grow as medical marijuana and recreational cannabis become commonplace. Each year, High Times holds their coveted Cannabis Cup, where cannabis chefs compete to see which edibles are the most delectable. Since the growth of the competition, edibles have taken on a life that is far beyond just cookies and brownies.

Before you start any recipe involving marijuana, you must first activate the psychoactive component of cannabis. The reason you get high from marijuana is due to a chemical compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Cannabis edibles have always been popular in the stoner community. However, with marijuana legalization happening state-by-state across the United States, the popularity of cannabis edibles are growing. With masses of people just beginning to become familiar with the world of cannabis, novices are shocked and intrigued by the idea of marijuana lollipops, gummies, chocolates, teas, and brownies.